Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Guadalajara versus $1,047 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,241 in Guadalajara versus $1,702 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,107 in Guadalajara versus $2,357 in Colima.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 31% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 0% above, Colima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 MX$256

$7.79 MX$134

90.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.81 MX$842

$35.34 MX$609

38.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 MX$162

$7.52 MX$130

25.00%

Cappuccino

$4.06 MX$70.1

$2.29 MX$39.48

77.29%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.94

$1.11 MX$19.14

61.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.54

$0.87 MX$14.92

50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$50.6

$2.39 MX$41.20

23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$93.8

$2.66 MX$45.90

104.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MX$32.89

$1.50 MX$25.83

27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 MX$48.54

$2.79 MX$48.06

0.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.80

$1.45 MX$24.96

19.31%

Eggs

$2.58 MX$44.56

$2.66 MX$45.93

-3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 MX$177

$9.43 MX$163

8.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 MX$175

$8.98 MX$155

13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 MX$214

$10.67 MX$184

16.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$3.04 MX$52.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.94

$1.64 MX$28.31

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.71

$2.59 MX$44.74

-20.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.86

$2.64 MX$45.58

-25.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.04

$2.45 MX$42.23

-12.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.43

$2.55 MX$44.00

-26.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.30

$1.53 MX$26.40

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.42

$1.21 MX$20.92

-6.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 MX$87.6

$3.86 MX$66.5

31.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 MX$199

$8.90 MX$154

29.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$33.13

$1.62 MX$27.91

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 MX$62.7

$1.96 MX$33.82

85.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.55

$0.71 MX$12.27

-14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.94 MX$568

$21.07 MX$363

56.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MX$39.40

$2.68 MX$46.26

-14.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 MX$25.35

$2.99 MX$51.6

-50.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.00 MX$224

$17.36 MX$299

-25.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$28.13

$1.48 MX$25.47

10.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.2K MX$382.0K

$22.8K MX$392.7K

-2.74%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K MX$437.6K

$23.8K MX$409.8K

6.78%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$54.0 MX$931

$69.0 MX$1,190

-21.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.30 MX$419

$21.91 MX$378

10.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.34 MX$575

$31.61 MX$545

5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.73 MX$564

$37.78 MX$651

-13.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 MX$207

$23.40 MX$403

-48.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 MX$123

$4.90 MX$84.5

45.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$276 MX$4,761

$156 MX$2,691

76.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$199.2K

$2,644 MX$45.6K

337.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MX$1,091

$47.30 MX$816

33.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 MX$785

$31.77 MX$548

43.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,935

$83.4 MX$1,438

34.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,588

$110 MX$1,893

-16.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 MX$15.2K

$280 MX$4,821

216.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MX$9,073

$284 MX$4,901

85.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 MX$30.4K

$394 MX$6,799

346.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 MX$17.9K

$628 MX$10.8K

65.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,351 MX$57.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$824 MX$14.2K

$300 MX$5,180

174.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.3

3.36%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Guadalajara: September 12, 2026

Last update for Colima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Guadalajara and $280 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 174% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Guadalajara vs $35.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $276 per month, with Colima cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Guadalajara vs Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara and Colima differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,375 vs $1,047 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 174% higher in Guadalajara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $884 in Guadalajara versus $280 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 56% less than in Guadalajara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $276 in Guadalajara versus $156 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,047 in Colima versus $1,375 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Colima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.